𝕚𝕧𝕪; annabeth chase

v.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

it was weird, how loud a silence could seem.

it's almost deafening, how annabeth and percy are staring at her without saying anything. maddie tries to look anywhere but them, afraid that when she sees the look in their eyes that her walls will break, and every emotion that she is determined on keeping bottled up will crash out of her.

"but i made it out," she said as casually as she could. "i'm here, and that's what matters, right?"

her words are met with more silence. maddie fidgets, biting the skin next to her nail and glancing at the view from the balcony. it's beautifully breathtaking, and maddie wishes that they weren't in the situation they were in, so she could appreciate it fully.

finally, the girl reaches her limit and groans in annoyance. "okay can you guys at least say something—?"

her words are interrupted when percy pulls her in for a hug. she's surprised, but hugs him back all the same. his comforting scent of saltwater is still prominent, and the familiarity makes maddie close her eyes to cherish it. she's not sure how many more hugs they will have.

when they break apart, maddie blinks in surprise. "are you crying?"

although none of them have fallen, the tears in percy's eyes are hard to miss. they make his eyes shine twice as bright, and the emotion that brims from them is almost overwhelming.

"i'm so sorry, mads," percy mumbles. "i left you there by yourself. i should have gone and looked for you—"

"hey," maddie says strictly. "don't go all guilt-ridden on me now, percy. there's nothing you could have done. the only person i blame is myself."

the boy drops his head and shakes it. a beat passes, and when he looks back up, there is a different emotion in his eyes. rage.

"i'll kill him," he grits.

maddie smiles and pats his arm. "sure. but maybe get some food and sleep into you first. i don't think kronos will want to fight you if you're unconscious."

"maddie," annabeth speaks up. "why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"i didn't have a chance," maddie says softly, shrugging.

annabeth furrows her eyebrows. "this kind of thing doesn't get to wait until the 'right chance', mads! what he did to you—"

she breaks off, blinking and looking away. maddie watches her for a moment, transfixed. her body seems to gravitate towards annabeth naturally, as next thing she knows maddie is knelt beside her at eye level, and her hand has reached over to clasp annabeth's hand in her own.

"i know what he did will haunt me for a long time. maybe i'll never truly recover. but that's in the future, which doesn't concern me right now."

annabeth holds her gaze, and the pull is so strong maddie almost feels like there is an invisible string yanking her towards the girl. their clasped hands don't feel enough. maddie wants to know every inch of annabeth, to feel one with her soul.

eventually, annabeth casts her gaze away. "there's something i have to tell you. earlier percy, when you asked me why hermes was mad at me."

"hey, you need rest," percy says. "we don't have to—"

"no, i want to. it's been bothering me for a long time."

maddie straightens and sits on the edge of annabeth's lounge chair, not tearing her eyes away from the girl.